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COMING NEXT:
SCROLL OF HEROES
Creation is lorded over by the mighty Exalted,
but even the numerous Dragon-Blooded are as but
a drop of water in the teeming sea of humanity. Most
of these folk live simple lives, endeavoring to stay
beneath the notice of the various supernatural
beings who threaten to end or at least complicate
their lives. Some few, however, rise above the masses
that surround them to confront the dangers of their
world head. These are mankinds heroes.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
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INTRODUCTION
Here we may reign secure; and in my choice
To reign is worth ambition, though in hell:
Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven.
John Milton, Paradise Lost
INTRODUCTION
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CHAPTER ONE
A HISTORY OF HELL
After the gods tired of their enslavement and created the Exalted to battle their Primordial masters, a
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Princes, independent Infernal Exalted. The story began, however, with Gorol, the Thrice-Damned.
Before the Yozis seduced the powerful First Age Solar
Gorol, they had succeeded in corrupting only a few young
and minor Terrestrials. These agents were mostly rooted
out and destroyed by the Solars, Lunars and Sidereals.
Some were also discovered by their own Gentes and
executed or turned over to the authorities.
Gorol was different. He was a hero among the
Solars, and his seduction and destruction was such a
terrible blow to the Exalted that they covered it up for
as long as they could. Even afterward, when news of
the akumas betrayal leaked, Solar ministers colored
the accounts with so much propaganda that the true
account of Gorols damnation and fall from Night Caste
Solar to slave of the Yozis never came to light. (A full
version of the tale of Gorol is found in The Manual of
Exalted PowerThe Infernals, pp. 49-51.)
Unfortunately for Malfeas, he made an error in
the seduction of Gorol. After convincing the Solar to
act as his spy, the Yozi called him to Malfeas after he
believed he had learned all he needed to free himself.
Thus armed, Malfeas began to work to construct the
machines and power the rituals he needed to turn
himself back right-side out without sundering his very
nature, thus freeing himself and the other Yozis.
With his anger at imprisonment still fresh, Malfeas
called his fellow Yozis to a meeting. He announced that
his machinations had secured their release and that
he would soon rule as their king over all once more.
He spoke of returning to Creation as conquerors and
crushing all who had wronged them. When Szoreny
questioned if his plan was ready after such a short time,
he assured all present that he knew all he needed.
He was wrong. Gorols understanding of the Yozis
prison, which that agent had acquired and then passed
along to his Yozi masters was not complete. The gods
and their Exalted reality-engineers intentionally kept
some aspects of the process used to bind and imprison
the Yozis out of all official records. Even in their secret
diaries and files, the chief architects of the prison left
misleading and intentionally inaccurate information.
Neither gods nor Chosen could have ever predicted
the betrayal and fall of someone like Gorol, but they
did fear that some spy might secure the secrets of the
Yozis prison if they were ever recorded. So, instead,
they recorded false secrets and calculations that seemed
complete but lacked key elements.
Therefore, when Malfeas put his great plan of
escape into play mere centuries after he and his kind
were imprisoned, nothing happened. Malfeas waited
for the great changes that would free the Yozis and
doom Creation to their vengeful rule, but there was
nothing. No great opening of the sky occurred. No
triumphant return to Creation was realized. Not even
a catastrophe or explosion signaling the deception.
Instead, the Demon Kings plans simply failed. For
several moments, there was a silence so great that it
is said Adorjan nearly laughed with joy. In response,
Malfeas raged and howled, dropping two of his largest
levels into Kimbery, but the cunning architects of the
prison answered simply with silence.
Malfeas ordered all records of this event stricken
from the official records. Demons were ordered to
forget the matter completely, and those that would
not or could not were destroyed or had the event cut
from their minds. Only the Yozis remember clearly,
and they do not speak of it. The reason for this is
simple: They all were taken in by Malfeas plan, and
none wish to be reminded of their false hopes or the
horrible sense of helplessness they felt in those moments of silence. Still, none of them have forgotten
that time, and some learned much from the failure
and embarrassment of their king.
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THE SEDUCTION OF
THE SCARLET EMPRESS
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THE ARRIVAL OF
GEMSTONE OCEAN HERO
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THE WEDDING OF
THE EBON DRAGON
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CHAPTER TWO
LIFE IN HELL
The strangeness of Malfeas goes beyond the geography as well. Demons are not mortal creatures; they
do not think quite as mortals do. They live in ways as
alien as their world.
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The people of Creation know that they live surrounded by gods. Nevertheless, the supreme powers of
Creationthe Incarnaeseldom intervene in the daily
workings of the world they oversee. Not so in Malfeas.
Demons live on and in their Yozi overlords, and the
whims of the Yozis and their Third Circle avatars shape
their world. Many aspects of demonic culture developed
in response to their enigmatic masters.
The greatest influence is Malfeas himself. His body
consists of numerous shells of black stone and metal,
covered in streets and buildings. Other Yozis form
smaller (though still vast) locations within him, or
move through his expanses. Adorjan, the Silent Wind,
blows through his streets, and Cecelyne, the Endless
Desert, forms the boundary for each and every layer
of Hell. The acid sea Kimbery washes over sections
of some shells. The forest Szoreny grows along one of
Kimberys shores. The demon realm also has pockets
of swamp and mountain, endless catacombs and many
other diverse landscape features, but none of them are
quite like their counterparts in Creation. Most signifi-
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CALIBRATION
During Calibration, anyone in Malfeas (except for the Yozis themselves) can jump to Creation
if they find one of the fraction-of-a-second gaps
between worlds. This is possible if a bit of Creation
manifests within a yard of someone. The beings
player rolls (Wits + Athletics) to dive for the gap,
at a difficulty equal to the demons Essence. The
being also reflexively spends 10 motes or three
Willpower points (players choice) to force the
crack in the world wide enough to pass through.
Only one being can possibly escape through a
single crack.
CAVEAT EMPTOR
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TOXIC SPITE
AN ALCHEMICAL ANTIDOTE
WINDS OF TERROR
This creature resembles an insect, half-fly and halfmoth, with a palm-sized body and a surfeit of legs. A
Solar Exalt bred the first mayfly masks during the First
Age so that his retinue could join his safaris through
the Demon City without succumbing to the poisoned
air. The Bureau of Destiny keeps a small supply, as
DAMNABLE WEATHER
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See page 131 of Exalted for the game traits of the Silent Wind. The four daughters of Adorjan have
these game effects:
Kalmanka, the Arrow Wind, inflicts eight levels of lethal damage every five ticks throughout the
area where she blows. This is not an environmental effect, just simple damage that can be soaked normally. Yet, it cannot be dodged or blocked except through perfect defenses.
Kamilla, the Wind of Promise, inflicts no damage but tugs at corpses with a (Strength + Athletics)
total of six or the minimum needed to lift a particular cadaver, whichever is greater. To prevent the Wind
of Promise from carrying a body away, a character must perform a feat of strength with a greater (Strength
+ Athletics) total. Stunting can raise this static value. (See Exalted, p. 127 for feats of strength.)
Pellegrina, the Grinding Wind, inflicts four levels of lethal damage per tick. This damage ignores
soak, but affects only stone. The total quantity of damage to her surroundings depends on how long she
chooses to blow through a given area.
Vitaris, the Brilliant Wind, affects visibility. Every character within the Brilliant Wind is blinded
(see Exalted, p. 152) unless his player succeeds at a (Wits + Alertness) roll at difficulty 3 each action
to shield his eyes. Doing so takes a miscellaneous action, so anything else the character does suffers a
multiple-action penalty. Success means the character operates as if in fog at night (see Exalted, p. 135).
Failure means dazzled eyes and full blindness for that action, and Perception reduced by one for the rest
of the scene. At Perception 0 or on a botch, the character is blinded as a Crippling effect. Anyone who
cannot heal from Crippling effects is rendered permanently blind. Various devices such as smoked goggles
can remove the need for a roll, but they still reduce visibility to that of a foggy night. Characters can
also cover their eyes completely until Vitaris passes, accepting temporary blindness to avoid long-term
impairment.
The four winds can fill an area as small as a single square yard or as large as several square miles.
They have no bodies to attackeven dematerialized onesbut can be treated as Essence 7 spirits for
purposes of Shaping and other attacks that might affect truly bodiless creatures with no distinct location.
They rarely blow through an area for more than five minutes before moving on.
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ELDRITCH RAIN
the falling lifes blood of their dying kin and batten upon
it. In the Demon City, vents in the streets drain the acid
into sewers that lead, in time, back to Kimbery.
Most other forms of precipitation ultimately derive
from the Yozi called Hegra, the Typhoon of Nightmares.
Hegra is a great Malfean storm, one of the few entities who dare to shroud the Green Sun and block his
light from vast sections of the demon realm. The Yozi
stalks on legs of lightning, and no noise in Malfeas can
surpass her thunder. For this alone, demons would love
the Typhoon of Nightmares, for where she walks the
Silent Wind stays far away.
Hegra collects the constant fog of dreams that rises
from Creation and condenses them into her clouds, to
dispense them to the rest of the Demon City. Sometimes,
she lashes the terrain beneath her with cold sweat from
victims of night terrors. Sometimes, she sends erotic
cloudbursts or blizzards of fancy. Anyone who touches
her rain and snow, sleet and hail feels the emotions and
perceives the visions of Creations dreamers.
When Hegra passes, demons pour from the buildings of Malfeas to dance and sing in the citys streets.
For a few hours, they delight in the knowledge that
the Silent Wind will not kill them as they bathe in the
psychedelic rain. Mortals would find madness in the
waves and gusts of ever-changing moods and visions,
but demons enjoy them. The celebrants of Erembour
sometimes creep from the depths to share the bounty
under Hegras shadow, and the intoxicated demons are
often too lost in dreams to realize what revels among
them. Sometimes, the dark-dwellers have no choice but
to brave the streets, for Hegra sends her rain in such
abundance that the catacombs flood. At such times,
the canyon-streets gouged by Pellegrina become rushing
rivers that can sweep away careless demons.
A few of the celebrants absorb so many mortal
dreams that they forget what they are and believe they
are humans cast inexplicably into Hell. Some of them
think they are further trapped in a demon body, while
others refuse to admit even that much truth about
themselves. Between the cruelty of other demons, the
perils of their world and the secondary derangements
that demons can acquire from Hegras rain, deluded
demons seldom live very long. Now and then, though,
a wealthy demon keeps such a victim of Hegras rain as
a jester to mock and torment.
Various lesser demons also produce different sorts
of rain, hail or snow, and not all of them are secondary
souls or spawn of Hegra. For instance, eldritch rains
follow the demon Zsofika. Malfeas sees rains of blood
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OTHER CATACLYSMS
The Yozis and their Third Circle avatars can inflict many disasters comparable to the Silent Wind.
Sometimes, they lash out at their minions in rage and
frustration. Other times, they seem to act without
awarenessjust scratching an itch or fidgeting in their
confinement.
STONE RAIN
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INFERNAL RAINS
ACID FLOODS
CRUSHED IN PASSING
Only one force in Hell can push two layers of Malfeas apart once they converge: Isidoros, the Black Boar
That Twists the Skies. When he dwelled in Creation,
this strongest of the Primordials could push Luna and
the Maidens off their predestined courses. Maimed
and bound, he remains the irresistible force, able to
kick over mountains with a tap of one hoof or raise
continents from the deeps of Kimbery with his tusks.
If Isidoros decides that he does not want two shells
to crash in a stone rain, they do not. The Black Boar
plants his hooves on one shell, braces his back against
the other, and shoves.
Unfortunately, this does mean that at least two
other of Malfeas shells now move toward each other,
propelled by the strength of Isidoros. Hell has merely
traded one disaster for another at a later time.
Where the Black Boar walks, he also tends to crush
everything in his path. He is simply too big and too
strong. Isidoros spends much of his time in the forest
Szoreny. Sometimes, his whim takes Isidoros through
the streets of the Demon City. Even if he thinks to
make himself small enough to fit in them, he still
topples buildings if he brushes against them. When
he does not take such care, each fall of a hoof crushes
whole city blocks.
Unlike Adorjan, no sound or talisman can repel
the Black Boar. Some courageous (or doomed) demon
must fly up to the head of Isidoros, try to attract his
attention and pray that he shrink himself or, better
still, be somewhere else. No one can compel Isidoros,
and any hint of trying to force the Yozi only makes him
angry, but he responds at times to suggestions that he
can find greater amusements elsewhere. Of course, a
demon who fails to attract the Black Boars notice could
be inhaled like a gnat and destroyed.
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HELLS FIRE
A PRIVATE HELL
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LIVING HOMES
INFERNAL SANCTUMS
The average First Circle demon lives where its master permits. Third Circle demons go wherever they will.
In between the serfs and the unquestionable, citizens
claim true homesplaces that other demons accept as
theirs, not simply places where they spend some time.
Such demons may have sanctums.
A sanctum within Malfeas is nothing more than
a home owned by a demon (as per the discussion of
ownership on p. 238 of Exalted, though demons tend to
establish ownership through displays of dominance and
cruelty rather than respect and care). A basic sanctum
offers nothing more than a favored place for a slain
demon to regenerate, and a target for Hurry Home.
Second Circle demons dont need to buy the
Sanctum Background if their abode does not offer
significant benefits or powers of its own. Alveua, the
Keeper of the Forge of Night (The Books of Sorcery,
Vol. VThe Roll of Glorious Divinity II, pp. 5557)
is a good example of a demon that has the Sanctum
Background, because she can do things at the Forge of
Night that she cannot do on her own.
First Circle demon characters, however, must possess the Background to own a sanctum. Simply having a
place to call her own is a meaningful addition to a First
Circle demons power. First Circle owners of sanctums
are almost always citizens. A serf would have great difficulty forcing other demons to accept her ownership
of a location. If she did so, it would be a good sign she
had distinguished herself from other demons and was
ready for citizenship.
Malfean sanctums are as material as the rest of that
world. (Usually, that is. See p. 124 for a discussion of
possible exceptions.) Demons can also establish sanctums
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A DEMONS LIFE
REPRODUCTION
GENESIS METHODS
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THE DEMON-BLOODED
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FOOD
DRINK
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INFERNAL SPIRITS
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HELL MONEY
ENTERTAINMENT
MUSIC
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worse than drive its listeners mad or otherwise transform their identities, as so often happens to those who
follow Erembours horn. Second Circle demons rarely
achieve even this height of artistry, though some of
them could make stones dance for joy or make mortals
swoon for grief.
The Second Circle lords created entire breeds of
First Circle demons for no reason except music, such
as the justly famous angyalkae. Among other demons,
musical talent occurs no more frequently than it does
among mortals, but all demons appreciate it when it
appears, and all demons love to hear music played
well. Any demon that cannot at least keep time by
clapping or stamping will not survive long in Malfeas.
The demonologist who summons an erymanthus to
slaughter her enemies is sometimes surprised to find
her blood-ape taking time from its rampage to applaud
a particularly fine singer it overhears or to lethally
chastise a teahouse musician for playing off key.
In Hell, demons play most of the instruments known
in Creation and design some of their own. Percussive
DANCE
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LITERATURE
PLASTIC ARTS
BLOOD SPORT
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CALL TO BATTLE
INTELLECTUAL LIFE
gives freely for the spawn of the Yozis to learn, and each
library has a steady clientele of autodidacts.
Demons also know, however, that while Orabilis
gives them free reign to learn, he does not give them
free reign to think. Everything in a glass library is itself
safe to know (by a demons standards, anyway). Yet,
an ingenious and insightful mind could see connections between facts, evolve theories, find confirming
ARCANE INDUSTRY
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PERSONAL MOBILITY
MOUNTS
VEHICLES
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RELIC VEHICLES
VEHICLE TRAITS
TRAVEL BY INGESTION
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JACINTS ROADS
DEATH
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ESSENCE
The most valuable commodity in Malfeas is Essence. Demons work their will through Essence, and
although demons possess great reserves of Essence,
no demon can ever have enough. Essence reveals the
brutal realities of life in the Demon City: who has it
and how they obtain it.
MALFEAN MANSES
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ESSENCE TAPS
WORSHIP
FORCED EXTRACTION
Of course, every demon does generate large quantities of personal Essence. A sufficiently powerful demon
can simply rip the Essence from weaker demons and
take it for his own. More often, however, powerful
demons prefer to extort small, periodic donations from
their subordinates.
CHALCANTH
TAX HELL
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CHAPTER THREE
TO RULE IN HELL
SUBINFEUDATION
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NON-TERRITORIAL FIEFDOMS
OMS
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STYLES OF RULERSHIP
The terms lord and citizen carry overlapping but distinct meanings. A citizen becomes
such by the order of Cecelynes priests and holds
this rank wherever she goes and whatever else
happens to her. A lord is a demon who actually
rules a territory, with no need to care what other
demons want. A demon loses this status if she
stops ruling a fiefdom.
All lords are citizens, and virtually all are
Second Circle demons. Demons who rule nonterritorial fiefdoms are not usually called lords.
Neither are First Circle citizens who rule territories,
since they seldom rule by personal power alone.
Still, there are always exceptions.
BASIC AUTOCRACY
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PURPOSE
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SMALL SOCIETIES
themselves (though their word remains unquestionable). And only the priests of Cecelyne can report the
words of any Yozi. Even Ligier, fetich soul of the King of
Hell, would not presume to speak for the Ebon Dragon,
Kimbery or Isidoros. (He might give an educated and
honest guess about their wills, but only to someone
he found marginally worthy of his royal regard.) To
falsely claim a revelation from a Yozi is a capital and
unpardonable offense.
ACOLYTES
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TEMPLES
TEMPLE RITES
SUPPLICATION
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REWARDS
THE CAGE
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CECELYNES LAWS
GREATER COMMANDMENTS
DANGEROUS CALLS
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TABOOS
FOLK RELIGION
The priests of Cecelyne and their attendant ministries form the religious and legal establishment of
Hell, but they do not form the sole conduit of worship.
Demons build shrines to other Yozis and unquestionables, and may pray whenever they feel the need. All
demons know that the Yozis do not answer prayers that
do not come through the priests of Cecelyne, but they
JUDGMENTAL EYES
may hear and perhaps act in a way favorable to a supplicant. Admittedly, most demons pray for a Yozi not to
do somethingfor Isidoros to leave their neighborhood
uncrushed, for Kimbery to stay her corrosive wrath, for
She Who Lives in Her Name not to thwart a would-be
citizens attempt to rise above his station. Third Circle
demons, however, may respond directly to prayers.
Demons even gather in congregations to worship
in unison. One demon usually leads the prayers but
does not claim the title of priestwhich would get him
killed. They are merely deacons, and their office gives
them no protection at all against other demons. (It
could, however, be worth one dot of Influence if their
congregations think they do their job well.)
Such unsanctioned cults usually stay quite small.
Local cells of the cult vary a lot, since the Yozi they
worship has ordained no liturgy or ritual. The demons
merely guess what might please the Yozi.
A demon can join as many cults as she wants.
Demons usually join cults that bear some relevance to
their work or other aspects of their lives. For instance,
the crews of every ship that sails across Kimbery offer
daily prayers to the Yozi. They do not expect Kimbery
to grant them anything, but not to assure her of their
continued reverence might make her angry. Better to
be safe than dissolved in her corrosive depths.
MINISTRIES OF HELL
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STRANGERS
When people other than demons live in Hell, demons refer to them as strangers. A stranger occupies
a legal limbonot subject to the laws of Hell, but not
protected by them either. (Not that the laws protect
most demons) At first, demons tend to challenge
strangers, trying to change their status to food or slave.
In time, though, strangers can achieve limited positions of power in Hell if lesser demons find them too
dangerous to threaten and greater demons find them
useful in some way.
Such strangers enjoy a degree of independence and
respect comparable to a First Circle citizen. An accepted
stranger cannot rule a fiefdom but will not be arbitrarily
enslaved, either. The transition from stranger to accepted
stranger usually happens when a Second Circle demon
or a priest of Cecelyne publicly speaks with the person
in a reasonably civil manner.
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ENTERING MALFEAS
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DEMON CULTS
which concern the demonic patron. Once the cult exists, the demon concentrates on extracting the greatest
possible benefits from her new lackeys.
EXPLOITATION
ESSENCE
MATERIAL GOODS
ACCESS
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TEMPLE BUILDING
OFFSPRING
Demons who possess cults often take the opportunity to mate with mortals, either willing cult
members or people kidnapped by the cult as a form
of sexual sacrifice. This practice frequently yields
Demon-Blooded offspring. Some demons consider this
a useful incidental, or even a goal in itself. In time,
such half-breeds often become highly esteemed leaders of the cult, and the demonic parents most potent
agents in Creation.
RESURRECTION
A cult gives a demon a hedge against death. A Second or Third Circle demon slain in Creation re-forms a
year and a day later in Malfeas, but a First Circle demon
is just dead. A cult, however, can resurrect a demon by
continuing to worship it and offer sacrifices.
The cult has a year and a day after the demons
death in which to do so. A bit of the demons Essence
remains with its worshipers, and sufficient sacrifices
within that time limit can make that seed grow, completely restoring the demon. The cult must perform the
sacrifices according to the ritual it already established
with the demon. The sacrifices generate Essence and
Willpower (as per the system for burnt offerings, cited
earlier). When the accumulated motes and Willpower
of the sacrifices would be enough to fill the demons
Essence and Willpower pools, the demon can coalesce
and live again. It still doesnt reappear until a year and
a day after its death, though. If the demon has an intact
sanctum in Creation, the demon regenerates in this
location. Otherwise, it regenerates in Malfeas.
Slain higher-circle demons can also benefit from
the sacrifices of worshipers. In this case, the demon
regenerates at the next dark of the moon after the cult
refills its mote and Willpower pools. The cult enables
the demon to rise from death before the normal year
and day pass.
EGO GRATIFICATION
Of course, commanding a group of worshipful servants can be an end in itself. Few demons treat their
cults purely as ventures to gain Essence, wealth or other
practical benefits. They also found cults for the rush
of mastery and the pleasures of couch and table that
reverent lackeys can provide. Most demonseven the
lords of fiefdomslive as vassals to greater beings. With
a cult, however, a demon can enjoy a taste of absolute,
unfettered power over other creatures.
MAINTENANCE
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PRAYER MILLS
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WAR IN HELL
CASUS BELLI
SCOPE
Malfeas has never known a general war that involved territories comparable to an entire direction
of Creation. It has, however, seen regional wars that
drew in up to a dozen fiefdoms, as one alliance of lords
sought to conquer another alliance. Most wars, however,
involve just one fiefdom attacking another.
Three times in the history of Malfeas, though,
Ligier ordered a general mobilization of every fiefdoms
military power. The first happened during the Second
Deliberative Era. As far as any lesser demon can tell,
the King of Hells fetich did this purely as a military
exercise, to see if it was possible. (A minority believes
the Green Sun performed this exercise to intimidate
or impress a visiting Lawgiver.) The second mobilization happened at the height of the Usurpation, right
as demons began returning from Creation with news
that the Chosen of the Incarnae were slaughtering each
other. The third happened in the midst of the Great
Contagion. Second Circle demons (and a few other
survivors from this period) remember being told that
this was not a drill and to watch for Fair Folk intrusion.
No fighting occurred, however, and Malfeas has never
fought a war against another world. At least, not yet.
ARMORY
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Demons also build a full variety of ballistae, trebuchets, onagers and other catapults. Instead of torsion
skeins of twisted rope, however, the throwing arms often
powered by living demons flayed, boned and warped
into coils of raw muscle. In some cases, the throwing
arm is actually a gigantic, living arm on a wheeled box.
The box has a hatch to feed the thing. Sometimes, it
whimpers, Kill me, when it hears other creatures
move past.
ARTILLERY
RELIC ARMAMENTS
Hells legions make greater use, however, of infernal analogues to the firedust weapons developed in
the South. Hell has its equivalents to firewands, flame
cannon, fire grenades and other such weapons (for most
of which, see Chapter Six of Scroll of Kings). These
weapons work in substantially the same way, except that
Hell has no firedust. Instead, demon alchemists produce
a blackish-purple powder called algarel (mentioned in
Chapter Two). When exposed to liquid vitriol, algarel
explodes much like firedust does, though the flames
are green. Whereas most of Creations militaries are
slow to adopt flame artillery due to the expense and
the danger of transporting huge quantities of volatile
firedust, many infernal armies include artillery divisions.
After all, the demon lords dont care about either the
costs or the hazard to their troops.
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MIGHT
COMPASSION CHARMS
SPECIAL CHARACTERS
CHARMS
CONVICTION CHARMS
Divine Works: These Charms offer diverse possibilities for reshaping a battlefield. A lords fiefdom is
an eminently suitable target for Domain Manipulation Scenario, while a demon might draw power from
aspects of the landscape through Affinity (Element)
Control.
Eidola: Commanders may disguise or conceal
themselves using Charms such as Shapechange or
Host of Spiritsor a whole unit of demons with such
Charms might disguise itself as something else. In their
own fiefdom, lords may disguise defensive installations
or waiting troops using Paper Tiger Arrangement.
Relocations: Mobility is power in Hell as much
as in Creation. An army of demons who all can accelerate their passage using Landscape Travel enjoys
a great advantage over troops that cannot do this.
Opposing commanders might also duel to Banish or
Capture each other.
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TEMPERANCE CHARMS
VALOR CHARMS
THE BASIC
DEMON HORDE
Description:
Sometimes, a demon lord just rounds
up every First Circle
demon available,
hands spears to
the ones who lack
significant natural
weaponry and sends
them running at the
enemy. Most often,
a demon lord uses
a horde as backup.
Smaller, elite units
do most of the fighting until the lord
can force her enemy
into a moment of
strategic weakness, such as a rout. Then the lord sends
her horde to roll over the disordered foe, hoping to
finish them off.
Commanding Officer: Varies
Armor Color: Varies; horde members might wear a sash
or other token bearing their masters symbol.
Motto: The masters name, shouted as loudly as
possible.
General Makeup: A few thousand demons of all shapes
and sizes.
Overall Quality: Poor by the standards of Malfeas,
but Fair by the standards of Creationthe average
demon has greater physical competence than the
average mortal.
Magnitude: 6 to 8
Drill: 0
Close Combat Attack: 2 Close Combat Damage: 2
Ranged Attack:
Ranged Damage:
Endurance: 4
Might: 2
Armor: 1
Morale: 2
Formation: A horde fights in unordered formation. It
has no special characters.
BLOOD-APE PLATOON
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Adjust the
units Magnitude
to represent different circumstances.
A weaker sorcerer
might settle for a
pack of five erymanthoi, while a
sorcerer of greater
power might summon and bind a
brigade of 125
demons. In Malfeas, powerful lords
such as Octavian
routinely deploy
dragons of blood-apes, or even entire legions.
Commanding Officer: Varies
Armor Color: Typically dull red fur, although some
erymanthoi have different colored fur.
Motto: Blood! (in Old Realm)
General Makeup: 25 erymanthoi armed with nothing
but their own claws and fangs
Overall Quality: Good
Magnitude: 2
Drill: 2 when initially summoned
(3 if drilled together)
Close Combat Attack: 4 Close Combat Damage: 3
Ranged Attack:
Ranged Damage:
Endurance: 7 (8 if drilled together)
Might: 3
Armor: 2
Morale: 4
Formation: Blood-apes typically fight in skirmish or relaxed formation. They assume close formation if ordered
to do so by a sorcerer or greater demon with control
over them. Initially, the demons have a Drill of 2, but
a month of training by truly courageous sergeants can
raise their Drill to 3. This training additionally raises
the units Endurance from 7 to 8.
their beauty
or, failing
that, at least
to achieve
surprise and
possibly start
a rout. Sting
of Defeat also
tries to snatch
and carry off
enemy commanders,
heroes and
relays, leaving
the opposition
leaderless and
disordered.
Sting of Defeat could be an elite unit that serves
a demon lord. It would also make an excellent mercenary unit hired by a lord, the leaders of a sodality
or a particularly stylish Infernal Exalt. Its own leader,
Simocatta, is an agata citizen with War 3. All firmin
members of the scale have Archery 3.
Commanding Officer: Simocatta
Armor Color: Iridescence and gold; nude skin and
black needle-resin.
Motto: Surrender to beauty, thy death be swift.
General Makeup: Fifty agatae carrying 50 firmin with
self bows and needle-swords.
Overall Quality: Excellent
Magnitude: 3
Drill: 4
Close Combat Attack: 4 Close Combat Damage: 3
Ranged Attack: 3
Ranged Damage: 2 (piercing)
Endurance: 7
Might: 3
Armor: 2
Morale: 4
Formation: The agatae usually fight in skirmish formation, for maximum mobility and defense against ranged
attacks. They like to appear over a battlefield in close
formation, however, just to show off and make maximum effect of their stunning appearance (effectively, a
stunt to maximize their chance of achieving a surprise
attack). The unit has no relays, but three agatae function as heroes and can command in Simocattas absence
or incapacitation.
THE SIX
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SODALITIES
Over the last thousand years, groups called sodalities have grown prominent in Hell. Sodalities
stand apart from the fiefdoms of the Descending
Hierarchy, while engaging in worship without
sanction from the priests of Cecelyne. These groups
of demons are not, however, primarily political or
religious. Rather, the sodalities formed as craft guilds
and business cartels. Wealth makes them political
players whether they want it or not, while no institution can survive in Hell without some show of
reverence toward the Yozis.
Since the sodalities membership comes almost
entirely from First Circle demons, these commercial
enterprises can never threaten the dominance of the
Descending Hierarchy and the priests. They collectively
possess enough wealth and power, though, to become
a distinct third force in Malfean affairsa venue for
power-struggles between the lords of Hell, and possibly
for other entities as well.
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SODALITIES AT WAR
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ORGANIZATION
ACTIVITIES
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HAZARDS
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ORGANIZATION
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ACTIVITIES
HIDDEN AGENDAS
Each brigade has one of the Nine Champions as its commander. Four other demons act
as heroes and may command fangs or scales on
their own. Clients dont always want a full talon
(particularly those sorcerers or thaumaturges who
might summon units of the army into Creation).
Relays account for the rest of each brigades
special characters.
The Nine Champions are all First Circle
demons with Essence ratings two dots higher than
usual for their kind, plus additional Attributes and
combat Abilities. All of them have at least War
3. They also know additional Charms, including
Excellencies with War and a favored combat
Ability. Storytellers who write them up should
take care to give them distinctive personalities
and combat gimmicks of their own, the better
to present them as powerful, legendary figures
in their own rightthe height of what a First
Circle demon can achieve.
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ORGANIZATION
ACTIVITIES
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HAZARDS
The arcane school called the Tin Orchid Academy provides another example of a community that
could be either an unusually localized sodality or an
unusually small fiefdom. Physically, the Tin Orchid
Academy occupies a single villa. Mentally, its limits
are hard to judge.
The Academys story began during the Shogunate
at the court of the Quicksilver Queen, a lesser dragon
of earth and famous savant (see The Books of Sorcery,
Vol. IVThe Roll of Glorious Divinity I, p. 100).
A sorcerer and alchemist at her court summoned an
agata as a steed. While there, the demon had quite a
lot of free time. His intelligence and beauty endeared
him to the ant-headed dragon queen, and her ambition
and learning made a great impression on the demon.
The agata decided that, although he enjoyed being a
steed, he could become much more. He learned a great
deal of thaumaturgy. Upon his return to Malfeas, the
agata petitioned Cecelyne for citizenship, noting that
his understanding of his own role in the world had
grown. He took the name his summoner gave him,
Lucent Wing.
The new citizen first set up a stall in the Equitable Market, where he sold talismans and potions.
Lucent Wing had no protectors, but he also offended
no one. Being able to fly, the agata easily avoided
most unwanted attention while continuing his
researches. The first student requested his tutelage
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ORGANIZATION
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CHAPTER FOUR
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Later sections detail the Demon City more thoroughly, but it is useful to look at the city as a whole first.
There are some important factors unique to Malfeas
to always keep in mind when reading about, playing
within or using Malfeas in a series. These factors color
every landmark, building, region and event within the
Demon City.
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BUT IT IS A PRISON
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MALFEAS
WAIT A MINUTE
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Demon City must be give special medicines or treatments lest they perish within seven days, and many
demons are crushed by the Yozis constant shiftings.
Malfeas is above noticing the pain and suffering he
causes, but he never tires of causing it. The hostility
of the Demon City is a testament to the Yozis eternal
hateful defiance of the gods and his imprisonment. It
will stop only when he is free to unleash his wrath on
Creation and beyond.
As a result, Malfeas is often frustratingly difficult to
navigate. Streets shift and levels are separated by vast
distances that require special mounts or transportation.
City levels collide with each other, and older sections
sometimes fall into the acidic depths of Kimbery below.
Demons and other strange creatures lurk everywhere,
making aimless wandering especially dangerous.
Still, for all one can feel Malfeas frustration,
malevolence and rage at every turn, it is still a city
of wonders. Demons that wear forms beyond mortal
imagination walk the streets. Businesses and markets
offer goods not for sale anywhere else. Pleasure houses
and brothels offer every diversion and perversion known
to man, and many that are not. For the rare visitor in
the Demon City, there is opportunity to mix in with
all of that danger. Some denizens of Creation, such as
the Dragon-Blood Gemstone Ocean Hero, have even
come to live in Malfeas permanently, and it is rare but
not unheard of to encounter a mortal in its homes,
markets and temples.
Black stone and polished brass form incredibly
complex buildings, some the size of mortal cities themselves. Temples to the Yozis and the fortresses of demon
warlords dot the green-black horizon. Demons of the
Third Circle live atop great spires, castles and aeries
that overlook their fiefdoms of lesser demons. In some
cases, these demons are the structures themselves, or
the streets, rivers and other landmarks seen everywhere
in the city. Long-forgotten behemoths lurk in remote
corners of Malfeas too, unwilling or unable to escape.
And the Green Sun, Ligier, shines everywhere.
Malfeas is king over the Yozis and first among the
prisoners of his own inside-out body. Everything he
creates within his city reminds him and everyone else
of this. His cities are terrifying in their scope, and yet
exist only as long as the Yozi does not decide to destroy
them to form new landscapes. He forms of brass those
things he half-consciously wishes to survive the Grinding Wind or other hazards while leaving other parts
to be ground to dust. He gives gold and other metals
from the veins in his black stone flesh but wrecks steel
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one can look out upon the fires of the forge. Business
meetings are conducted in these parlors. Depending
on the status of the customer, Ligier speaks with them
directly or works through a lesser demon who serves
as sales representative and intermediary. In either
case, the request is heard and the price is set. There is
no negotiation or haggling. The price often includes
strange or rare sacrifices the buyer is expected to procure
for the objects creation. These offerings, be they the
tears of a king or the voice of an unborn child, must
be provided, or Ligier will hide flaws in the finished
product. Given the alien nature of the demons whims,
these flaws might or might not hinder his creations
when they are used. Nonetheless, few of his customers wish to risk it, and Ligiers terms are nearly always
met. Ligier will entertain any potential request, be it
mon, mortal or Exalt. There is, however,
from demon,
a waitingg list for less interesting and
nt requests.
important
PUNISHMENT
MENT SPHERES
Punishment
ishment is a reality
of any prison, and Malfeas is no exception.
mong the mad
Even among
inmates of the Deity, there
mon City,
s, orders
are rules,
and a way of
hings.
doing things.
ases,
In most cases,
elow
those below
obey those
ut of
above out
fear andd
respect.
On occasion, though,
a lesser demon
or otherr servant
med too
is deemed
us or inrebellious
tent. In
competent.
ases, these
many cases,
creaturess are simply demoted, destroyed or devoured, depending on their
masters whims
whims. In some cases
cases, an example must
be made. For these times, Ligier is more than happy to
volunteer his services.
To this end, the Green Sun crafted a number of
large spheres made of green-black glass and brass. These
AND ADJUSTMENTS
On a vastt plain
lain of melted
elted stone
ston on one
of central levels of Malfeas, Ligier keeps his testing
grounds. Here he sets his creations to war with one
another. City-sized automata battle against swarms of
lesser clockwork soldiers, hellstriders and flying craft.
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MALFEAN BUILDINGS
There are no hard-and-fast rules of zoning or architecture in Malfeas. Buildings are made according to
the whims and desires of the builders and their owners.
In many cases, the structures of Malfeas himself are
renovated, altered, rebuilt or otherwise used as foundations and frameworks. This is not always the case, of
course, and the residents of the Demon City have had
millennia to build vast buildings independent of the
Yozis structures. The result is a city with architecture
so wondrous and diverse it seems almost random. Some
structures are web-like matrices that link individual
rooms together. Others are solid pieces carved to resemble long-forgotten creatures. Still others are grown
from seeds or eggs and watered with blood. Little thought
is given in most areas to urban planning, so structures
often grow together, intersect or simply appear vastly
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demons of the Third Circle have no objection to decoration, but they see little reason to allow such dedicated
diversions for their servants. Demons themselves seem
to prefer more active forms of recreation anyway. The
exceptions are all places built to commemorate the
glory of the Yozis and their souls through art.
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As a Yozi of incredible power, one whose very presence can blot out the Green Sun, the Ebon Dragon has
little need of a home, palace or otherwise. Nonetheless, roughly five years ago, the Shadow of All Things
directed his demons to raise a great palace in one of
the wealthiest neighborhoods in the outermost layer
of the Demon City. His servants did not dare question,
they merely began to work. The result is the structure
known only as the Palace of the Ebon Dragon, a grand
project that is nearing completion.
As the Ebon Dragons demons complete construction, his demons and trusted slaves are already
assembling to make up the staff. His Infernal Exalted
already stroll the nearly complete halls as an honor guard,
From this point on, readers will encounter a number of Third Circle demons. These creatures are an
important part of the geography of the Demon City and that which exists inside it. The Demon Princes
described here are those who operate and exist mostly as fixtures and terrain in Malfeas. Therefore,
they are described in detail but not given game traits such at those found for similar demons featured
in The Books of Sorcery, Vol. VThe Roll of Glorious Divinity II or later on in this book in the
antagonists chapter.
The demons described here are rarely summoned or compelled to take a form that would bring them
into direct conflict with other characters in Exalted. The knowledge of many of these demons has long
been lost in Creation, and only the most adept summoners with especially complete libraries know enough
to draw them from Malfeas. It is possible to see Ipithymias golden half-naked form dancing down her
street, but it is unlikely that she would fight or challenge most she meets. The same goes for the other
demons described in this chapter. They are encountered far less in humanlike form than their fellows,
such as Ligier and Jacint.
Despite this trend to stay in Malfeas and exist only as landmarks and locales, their other guises,
expertise and general battle tactics are given some mention in the demons descriptions. These exist
to give Storytellers a general idea of what each demon is like when it is encountered outside its most
common form. Further game traits are not provided, though Storytellers will find excellent examples
of other demons of the Third Circle in The Roll of Glorious Divinity II or later on in this books
antagonists chapter should they wish to create traits for any of the demons here. Storytellers who do so
should remember that the power of even the least of these creatures is terrifying and should give even
battle-hardened Solar circles pause.
Keep in mind that simply because few of these demons go to Creation doesnt mean they cant. Like all
Demon Princes, they are more than capable of existing simultaneously in Malfeas and Creation. Therefore,
encounters with these demons outside the Demon City have no effect on Malfean geography.
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Malfeas, like any city, has roads and streets. Unlike other urban areas, the streets that form in Malfeas
have a spark of infernal life from the great Yozi himself.
This spark causes the streets to move, grow, wither and
sometimes even die. A road might go from a grand avenue to tight back alley as the buildings around it press
inward. Or a footpath barely large enough for a child
might strain against its borders to become a roadway
that could let two armies pass each other going opposite
directions. Streets that one day run on for miles might
suddenly dead end the next.
Streets are often destroyed by forces beyond their
control. When Malfeas levels slam together, many
streets are obliterated in the resulting stone rain. Others are buried under toppling buildings or abandoned
after Adorjan slaughters everyone on a stretch of road
who does not flee her presence. When Isidoros ventures
forth from Szoreny, he destroys whole city blocks and
the streets that run between them. Battles and the
destruction brought by various powerful demons can
also destroy many roadways in the Demon City.
Despite the mad geography of Malfeas, some roads
stay constant and unchanging for Ages. These are typically pathways to places of power within the Demon
City. In some cases, these mostly permanent streets are
traveled often by or otherwise associated with Third
Circle demons. Demonologists theorize that this patronage strengthens these roads and lets them better
resist the push and pull of the rest of the landscape.
Malfeas, if he even notices this effect, does nothing to
prevent it. To him, the persistence of a few avenues
across his vastness matters little. Many of these more
constant streets are used to mark the territory of various demonic fiefdoms and holdings. Natives are aware
which streets mark the end of which lords territory,
and visitors are ignorant at their peril. Turf wars are
common on these border zones. The sounds of battle
or the constant clamor of patrols assigned to ward off
Adorjan are common in these areas. Few affluent or
powerful demons live in these areas, not wishing to risk
injury or destruction of property due to infernal gang
wars or inattentive musicians.
Not all the streets in the city are of Malfeas himself.
In fact, many are the work of others. For example, Adorjans 18th soul, the demon Jacint, forms roads, bridges
and causeways from his words. He sits upon his black
tower and speaks paths for his mistress to flow through.
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DEMON STREETS
Some streets and back alleys are demons themselves, lording over the slaves and lesser demons who
call them home and feed their gang-cults. These demons often seek to annex nearby streets, be they other
demons or the black flesh of Malfeas. These conflicts
sometimes lead to gangs of lesser demons serving as
soldiers in violent turf wars. In such times, servants
of these demon-streets launch raids on their masters
enemieskilling and enslaving rival street dwellers,
defacing landmarks on opposing territory and performing general acts of mayhem. Typically, other demons
allow these battles as long as all the forms or traditions
Though they are only two of countless establishments found on Ipithymia, the Black Lotus Pagoda
and the Stockade illustrate the range of businesses the Street of Gold Lanterns hosts.
The Black Lotus Pagoda is a high-class pleasure house carved out of a single piece of jet that caters
to rich, powerful guests seeking skilled and beautiful companionship. This brothel employs both demons
and mortal slaves, all trained in a number of sexual and social disciplines. Many of the Pagodas courtesans specialize in serving a clients particular interests and needs, usually by combining training with
their natural gifts and abilities. Within the walls of the Black Lotus Pagoda, one can find everything
from skilled but relatively conventional sex to demons who can stimulate pleasure centers by changing
their coloring in a particular pattern.
By contrast, the Stockade seems low class and ugly, though it is just as busy and popular. The building
itself is all iron and brass, and it resembles nothing so much as a giant cage. Smaller cages are mounted
throughout the interior and exterior in no discernible pattern and serve as places to entertain customers.
One enters the Stockade through a great barred door that opens into the reception area. Here, demons
act as combination overseer and salesmen for clients, offering a variety of slaves and unfortunate lesser
demons for abuse, torture and torment. Once a client has selected her companion and negotiated her
price, she is directed to a cage to do as she wills. The Stockade is constantly in need of new stock as its
clients tend toward the most violent, twisted and hungry of Malfeas demons.
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CAUSEWAYS
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The greatest of Cecelynes temples, the Skyless Cathedral is located in the center of Makarioss Equitable
Market (see p. 92). The exterior of the temple consists of
seven vast, towering walls of brass topped with inwardcurving spires. This exterior structure, like so much of the
Demon City, is part of Malfeas inside-out form. Those
who pass through the seven-angled arch of the cathedral
to the interior, however, find themselves upon the Endless Desert. The spires visible from the outside reach up
to support a vast brass inner temple that floats inverted
overhead, and the inner walls are seen to rise up from the
horizon in every direction. Upon the walls can be seen
carved the current laws by which the city is governed.
Many of these laws remain constant, such as the edict
naming the Yozis and their Third Circle representatives
as unquestionable, but others change with the shifting of
allegiances, power struggles and the like. No matter how
far one travels along the desert while within the Skyless
Cathedral, they can always see the inner temple directly
overhead and the laws written in the sky walls. The temple
attendants, a number of lesser demons, regularly move to
and from the inner temple. One attendant is always placed
by the entrance to guide worshipers in and out.
Those who have the means to reach the inner
temple are free to do so under their own power. Others
may, for a small donation, be transported by one of the
temple attendants. Once reaching the temple, visitors
are free to pray, make offerings or conduct whatever
business they wish. Upon completion of their affairs,
visitors are guided from the temple back to the desert
floor. Leaving the cathedral requires a small prayer or
offering. Afterward, one simply exits where the attendants are posted. Those who refuse to make an offering
or give a prayer to the glory of the Endless Desert find
themselves unable to leave until they see the error of
their ways. (See pp. 45-47 for more information on the
temples of Cecelyne and the Skyless Cathedral.)
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DEMONIC FIEFDOMS
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brass and black iron twisted into spirals and fused into
a great spire over a mile high. Octavian can often be
found in his tower when he is not campaigning or in
Creation. The demons great hall is at the towers top.
Here, Octavian sits on his throne carved from the bones
of a long-dead behemoth surrounded by the heads and
weapons of his vanquished foes. A scroll containing an
account of all the Living Towers victories is also kept
here, made from the skin of the same Solar Exalt whose
head adorns his belt.
THE BISHOPRIC OF
UNENDING TORPIDITY
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One of the few powerful oligarchies in the Demon City, the Dominion of the Seven Sorrows is a
fiefdom encompassing roughly one tenth of the outer
level of Malfeas. In an uncharacteristic show of unity
and centralization, all the rulers of this kingdom are
the component souls of a single demon of the Third
Circle. That demon is Demirkol, the Wayward Child,
Seventh soul of Cytherea. Like his mother and mistress,
Demirkol hides in the unknown spaces of Malfeas and
has not been seen publicly in Creation or the Demon
City since the First Age. Before the demon went into
seclusion, he gave instructions to each of his souls. These
instructions, when followed, would allow each of the
seven souls to carry out a grand plan of Demirkols own
devising. The resulting conquest and administration of
the Dominion of the Seven Sorrows is only the first
phase of the plan.
The kingdom gets its name from its seven rulers and
souls of Demirkol, commonly called the Sorrows. It is
a fantastic kingdom of white brass with streets of black
basalt. Shrines to Demirkol and Cytherea have been
placed at precise locations throughout the Dominion, a
project overseen by some of the greatest geomancers in
Malfeas. Many of these shrines bear differing images of
the Wayward Child and the Mother of All, each taken
from a different legend or tale about them. Other buildings are similar to those found elsewhere in Malfeas, save
that the design of everything from the grandest palace
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BEGGARS RIFTS
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more land and improve the quality of life for the demons
who live there. Beggars Rifts usually cover territory
equal only to a small town in Creation, though some
rare exceptions can cover entire slums and large ruins.
The Rifts tend to attract demons that fled their masters
and even the occasional non-demon allowed to dwell
in Malfeas.
In the end, these makeshift kingdoms are always
doomed to fall. Demons turn on each other and sell
out their fellow citizens for wealth and position in a
more powerful fiefdom. Powerful demons finally take
notice and easily crush and conquer them. Even if those
two outcomes can be avoided, the citizens of Beggars
Rifts are eventually marked as dissidents and rebels
and made examples of by the servants of Cecelyne or
other powerful Yozis. It is even theorized by some that
these rebellious collections of the disenfranchised are
usually started by agents of the Yozis to help root out
the disloyal. Whatever the reason, Beggars Rifts keep
reappearing in the poor and unwanted areas of Malfeas
only to be destroyed once those in power take notice.
While this section gives examples of demonic fiefdoms large and small, it is far from an exhaustive list. It
is not even a complete list of all the types of government
and holdings that exist in the Demon City. Storytellers
are encouraged to create their own fiefdoms to use in
their games. Most of these fiefdoms would be ruled by
powerful Second Circle demons.
The more powerful demons of the Third Circle
usually are Malfeas major landmarks, phenomena or
even kingdoms themselves. Therefore, they prefer to
direct others to rule in their stead. In cases where they
do carve out territory, it is for some greater purpose,
such as Ligiers Empire of the Green Sun.
Weaker Second Circle demons and virtually all
First Circle demons are simply not strong enough to
rule. They might carve out a city block or two as their
turf, but they can hold it only as long as a demon such
as Octavian doesnt take notice. Exceptions exist, such
as the Beggars Rifts, but they are usually short-lived,
and their rulers suffer greatly after they fall.
Fiefdoms also need some form of strong rulership
and defenses. Like young children, demons crave
structure or at least need it to keep from running
amok. Tyrants and despots are the rule here, but there
are always exceptions. One thing that must exist are
soldiers, magics and warbeasts to protect and expand
the territory. These forces might be drilled regiments
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SUNTARANKAL,
THE CRUCIBLE OF BRASS AND IRON
DEMON OF THE THIRD CIRCLE,
FIFTEENTH SOUL OF MALFEAS
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PLAGUES OF MALFEAS
SUPPLICANT SYNDROME
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POISON EFFECTS
KIMBERYS WATERS
Name
Damage
Toxicity
Tolerance
Penalty
5L
-3
Kimbery (depths)
7L
-4
Name
Damage
Trauma
3L
5L
Kimbery (depths)
5A
4L
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
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A WORLD WITHIN
THEIR PRISON
The following section describes the non-city geography found in and immediately around Malfeassuch
places as the Yozi-tree Szoreny and various other
forests and jungles found scattered across Malfeas.
Rivers and lakes of various substances also exist under
the Green Sun and are described later. Finally, the
great wastes of Cecelyne that separate Malfeas from
Creation are examined.
Much like the description of the urban areas of the
city, the following section is not exhaustive. Malfeas has
so many wonders it would be impossible to describe every
strange river and stream or to detail every woodland. The
examples given represent the major geographical areas
and noteworthy landmarks. Storytellers are encouraged
to add more to this list for their games. Malfeas is a vast
realm that began as a prison for ancient alien beings of
godlike power. Then, it just got weird.
many trunks met together and held fast the lands where
it grew, giving them consistency but reflecting onto
those who dwelled there Szorenys particular ideas of
order and aesthetics. After the defeat of the Primordials,
Szoreny was uprooted and cast into Malfeas. Szoreny
landed inverted, the impact driving his branches into
Malfeas crust with his roots reaching skyward. Since
that time, the Yozi has remained there. His many trunks
and branches meld with the ground while his mass of
silvery roots spreads up and into the air to form a forest of tree-like branches centered around great trunks
scattered throughout the area. Szoreny stretches out
for hundreds of miles in this manner. The roots of the
tree fill the sky with a canopy of silvery foliage that
often filters out much of Ligiers light. Quicksilver
sap gathers in places, forming drinking pools for the
creatures of the forest, which have adapted to living
on such deadly poison.
As it was before his imprisonment, Szorenys mirrorlike form reflects. Imprisonment and rage at the
indignities thrust upon the great tree, however, have
caused these reflections to take on their own warped life.
No image seen in the polished bark of Szoreny reflects
a true, or even properly reversed, image. Something is
always amiss. A virtuous man might find his reflection
turned evil and murderous. A shining sword might
appear as a broken bloody axe, and a small empty hut
might become a vast castle full of life. Expressions of
joy can become glares of hatred or silent wails of sorrow.
Some changes are subtler, such as slightly different hair
or eye color, but they always hint at profound differences lurking unseen. Szoreny is also the only mirror
that can hold an adequate reflection of his brother
Isidoros. Otherwise, the Black Boar That Twists the
Skies tolerates no pale imitations of his greatness.
At times, these reflections slide free and become
solid. These fun-house doppelgangers usually last only
moments before melting into quicksilver pools, but
some mirror images have persisted for Ages. Their
behavior is tied to the exact way in which they twisted
the originals reflection. These reflections rarely leave
the forest, though they can and sometimes do travel
into the city and beyond.
Travelers in the forest soon find that not just their
eyes play tricks on them. Senses can become mixed and
altered. Sounds become sights, sights become smells,
and so on, until the disorientation gives way to insanity. These effects are not universal, which makes them
even more maddening. Szorenys demons and creatures
native to the forest are immune to these effects, but all
others must take precautions. The two most common
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QUICKSILVER POISONS
Szorenys forests and many of his component souls contain a particularly toxic form of mercury that is
fatal to most mortals. Szorenys own demons and beasts are immune to this poison, as are most demons of
Isidoros and She Who Lives in Her Name who frequent the forests. Attempting to feed off most of these
creatures can be deadly, however, as most carry the poison in their flesh.
Name
Damage
Toxicity
Tolerance
Penalty
Quicksilver Sap
7A/minute
3L
-3
Quicksilver Pools
7L
-2
4L/day
Stamina/1 year
-1
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OTHER FORESTS
The Demon City has little in the way of vegetation outside of Szoreny, Vitalius and Hrotsvitha. Still,
there are a few other landmarks that are best described
HROTSVITHAS MADNESS
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These locales often defy any logic known in Creation. Plants of metal, stone and other substances sprout
and grow strangely. Behemoths spawned by demonkind
roam hungry and mad. Lesser demons make their home
in these lands only when their own twisted natures
allow them to fit in.
Part behemoth, part forest, Zannanza is a flat, sluglike beast that clings to the side of Malfeas levels. She
migrates these surfaces so slowly that few notice her
move. Black trees and creepers sprout from the beasts
flesh, nurtured by the Green Sun. These growths mask
the beasts fleshy body and make her appear as a forest.
Although that forest is set sideways, travelers find that
they can walk through the forest as if it were upright.
Occasionally, when levels of the city align just so,
travelers can walk up to the edge of one level, through
Zannanza, and onto another.
Zannanza is the result of a mating of a demon of the
Third Circle and a mortal woman. Sometime during
the First Age, it is said that Zannanza ate her way out
of her mothers womb and grew to devour her whole
village until a Solar Exalt finally summoned her father
to fetch his child. (Why he did not simply slay the
Demon-Blooded horror is a secret between the Solar
and the Demon Prince.) The demon took the beast
home to Malfeas and cast her into the city. Zannanza
hit the side of one of the citys levels and stuck fast.
Since that day, Zannanza has slept and grown steadily
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ZANNANZAS FATHER
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Migrating through Malfeas is Sagarduia. A component soul of She Who Lives in Her Name, Sagarduia
represents her mistresss ego, her internal balancer of
desires and what passes for morality with the Yozi.
A river of molten glass that can burn the unwary,
Sagarduia is an infectious voice of twisted reason and
melodious promises. She moves from level to level
of Malfeas as she wishes, appearing suddenly in a dry
riverbed to destroy lesser creatures dwelling within
or pushes aside existing rivers to flood the surrounding areas with vitriol or black dust. She also appears
at times to erode an unwanted landmark or create a
necessary boundary. She is persistent, unrelenting and
often unpredictable.
Few demons make use of Sagarduia when she visits
their domains. Instead, they give gifts and pleasant
greetings and secretly count the moments until she
moves on. There is good reason for keeping this distance.
Those who tarry too close to her banks sometimes find
themselves compelled by whispering voices from just
below the rivers surface to plunge into her agonizing
glass currents.
Sagarduias demons often swim in her rivers or follow her as she flows. The River of Crystal Fire herself
often acts as in intermediary between the other souls
of She Who Lives in Her Name. She also serves as
a frequent messenger for the Yozi herself and can be
found traveling in other forms while her currents course
endlessly through Malfeas.
INFERNAL WORMS
The following traits are for the average infernal worm. Some grow much larger, though they are rarely
encountered except far from the shores in Kimbery. A spawning pool can contain anywhere from three
to 23 worms, depending on how many have already been devoured by the others.
S/D/S
P/I/W/W
Health Lvls
Atk (S/A/D/R)
Dodge DV/S
12/5/10
4/1/2/5
-0x2/-1x4/-2x8/-4/I
Bite: 6/12/12L/2
4/8L/18B
Abilities: Athletics 2 (Swim +3), Awareness 4, Dodge 1, Martial Arts 3 (Bite +2), Presence 2 (Intimidate +3)
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From a distance, these spawning pools look harmless enough, even inviting. Those who are not aware
that no natural water is found in Malfeas might even
mistake such a pool for a large lake of drinkable water.
Its not until they touch the acidic liquid that they
realize their mistake. By then, their cries have already
drawn the worms.
In a section of Malfeas near the shores of Kimbery, in a place where Szoreny does not quite come
to meet the Sea That Marched Against the Flame,
are located the Herd Hills of Chissano. Chissano
was once a great behemoth and beloved pet of the
Primordial Adrin. When the war with the gods
came, Chissano fought with his mistress and was
sliced into 100 pieces by the great Exalted swordsman
Blade of One Hundred Cuts, who sword dealt 100
blows every time he stuck. Chissanos scaly armor
turned aside the fatal blow that would have pierced
his heart but lay in pieces before his foe. Just as the
Chosen prepared to finish the beast off, the Yozis
surrendered, and the battle ended.
Chissano was forgotten by his mistress, her affection for him dying with her fetich-heart, Lilike.
The behemoth was dumped into Malfeas, half-living
wreckage of the last battle of a terrible war. Chissano
still lies where he was cast. His segmented body is
alive but in pieces. Black dust from Malfeas has clung
to the beasts form over the years, obscuring his limbs
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CECELYNE,
THE ENDLESS DESERT
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CHAPTER FIVE
THE DAMNED
DEMONS
In each layer of the Demon City, one manse inexorably draws the eye from the surrounding architecture.
Each differs in nature and purpose. Some are manors,
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The Chariot of Embers presses forward like a charging legion or a buffalo stampede. He advances with the
irresistible force of the dawn or the rising tide. He appears
as horses and chariot and charioteer all merged into one,
with leads and reins throbbing like the veins in a warriors
temple, all of charcoal black laced with blazing red and
orange, trailing hair and manes like streamers of ashen
smoke. Scorching air billows from his body like the breath
of a forge. Obstacles crumble before his inexorable advance.
Walls shatter, armies rout, and swaths of forest burst into
flaming flinders in the face of his furious onslaught.
Ferand craves opposition. He loves to destroy those
things that resist his passage. Nonetheless, he is honorable in his way. He does not hunt down those who flee
from his glory, nor do his fires consume them. In Malfeas,
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(See The Books of Sorcery, Vol. VThe Roll of Glorious Divinity II, p. 46.)
Sample Powers:
Chariot of EmbersIn the form of the Chariot of Embers,
Ferand can carry up to 12 passengers. Those he permits
aboard travel in perfect comfort, untouched by the flames,
while intruders suffer as they would in a bonfire. He streaks
over land or water at a speed of 100 miles per hour without
tiring, or travels through the air at half that speed.
EILARIA
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MADELRADA,
THAT WHICH WEARS DOWN THE MOUNTAINS
DEMON OF THE THIRD CIRCLE, EIGHTH SOUL OF KIMBERY
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MALFEAN ASTROLOGY
The stars in Heaven guide the fates of the children of Creation, but their power ends at the edge
of Cecelyne, for there is no destiny in the Demon
City. Instead, each of Hells dying stars is the living
ember of an infernal scholar, and a thaumaturge
versed in Malfean astrology can divine their wisdom.
Malfean astrology is a part of the thaumaturgical Art
of Astrology, although its rituals do not function
outside the demon prison.
Celestial Tutelage (1, Wits, traits experience
cost, one day): With this ritual, the thaumaturge
gleans knowledge of a subject from the dance of
the dying stars. She acquires a chosen trait with
normal training times as though she possessed a
tutor. Doing so requires performing the ritual each
day of training; a failed roll means no progress is
made on that day. Traits not found among demon
scholars, such as Exalted Charms, cannot be learned
in this manner.
Question the Dying Stars (2, Perception, 4,
one hour): The thaumaturge petitions the dying
stars for an answer to a single question regarding
past events or the present locations of creatures
or objects. Questions involving other realms of
existence suffer a -5 external penalty. The number
of successes rolled determines the accuracy of the
answer obtained: 1+ (vague), 4+ (incomplete but
enlightening), 7+ (somewhat accurate) or 10+
(accurate with details). On a botch, an incorrect
answer is obtained. Questions regarding the Yozis,
Primordials or Neverborn botch automatically, as do
questions regarding subjects the Storyteller deems
wholly beyond the ken of any infernal scholar.
Astral Palimpsest (3, Charisma, 4, one hour):
By dancing beneath the dying stars, the thaumaturge adds to their dance, inserting a message of
his choosing into their movements. He addresses
the message to one or more persons, each of whom
receives that message the next time they perform
a divination using infernal astrology.
circle above palaces and ministries, presaging misfortune for the great.
Iyutha serves as brood mother to a score of aerial
demon species and countless Demon-Blooded offspring,
but she is no loving parent. Meddlesome and cruel, she
employs her progeny as pawns in her efforts to destroy her
enemies. Hatred comes naturally to her, and her adversaries are legion, comprising all who have ever given her
offense over the Ages.
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her bones, and her boards and cards are her flesh, all of
which pulse with her blood and breath.
Those who play one another at the games of Sigereth
may wager anything they possess: physical property, pledges
of action or even friendships, skills, memories and dreams.
One may also play against Sigereth herself, with her puppet
moving the pieces on her behalf. She encourages those
who run out of resources to stake themselves upon the
next game. She draws those who wager themselves and
lose into Malfeas, where she reshapes them into the First
Circle demons known as baidak (see pp. 139-141).
Sigereth dwells in luxury in her Palace of Ineluctable
Victory, a sprawling fortress-manse from which she rules
one-tenth of a Malfean layer. The manse swarms with
baidak demons in her service. Most practice endless war
games, while others tend to their mistresss personal needs,
massaging her pieces with scented oils and retouching her
painted pasteboards. Beneath the vast dome of her map
room, those baidak she has imbued with sentience plan
her campaigns to expand her empire.
Summoning: (Obscurity 2/4) Those who summon Sigereth
most often seek her tutelage in matters of strategy. Others
use her to command troops, enforce wagers or provide
an opponent worthy of their skills. A challenge from a
master of sufficient repute, written in his own hand and
cast into the sea, draws her forth from Malfeas without
a summons.
Motivation: To facilitate games between adversaries of
great skill. Sigereths Intimacies include games, gamesters,
tacticians, maps, intriguers, pawns, intricate stratagems
and her demon servants.
Attributes: Strength 0 (puppet 2), Dexterity 0 (puppet 4),
Stamina 7; Charisma 6, Manipulation 7, Appearance 4;
Perception 6, Intelligence 7, Wits 7
Virtues: Compassion 2, Conviction 3, Temperance 4,
Valor 5
Abilities: Awareness 5 (Gameplay +3), Bureaucracy 4, Integrity 6, Investigation 5, Larceny 3 (Games of Chance +3),
Linguistics (Native: Old Realm; Others: Flametongue,
Forest-tongue, Guild Cant, High Holy Speech, High
Realm, Low Realm, Riverspeak, Seatongue, Skytongue) 9,
Lore 4, Occult 3, Resistance 5, Socialize 2, Stealth 2, War 8
(Games of Skill +3)
Backgrounds: Backing 3, Cult 1, Followers 5, Influence 2,
Manse 4, Resources 5, Sanctum 4
Charms:
Bread of Weak SpiritBaidak
CallBaidak
CaptureOne that loses a wager against Sigereth is drawn
through her box into her sanctum
Divine PrerogativeCompelling Sigereth to lose a game
is an unacceptable order
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SONDOK, SHE-WHO-STANDS-IN-DOORWAYS
DEMON OF THE SECOND CIRCLE, WARDEN SOUL OF THE
GREEN SUN
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BIRYU
Sondoks dog-spirit is as much a part of her as it is its own creature. If Biryu dies but Sondok does not, she
resurrects him at midnight on the next new moon.
Str/Dex/Sta
Per/Int/Wits/Will
Health Levels
Atk (Spd/Acc/Dmg/Rate) Dodge DV/S
6/5/6
4/2/3/6
-0/-1x3/-2x3/-4/I
Bite: 4/10/7L/1
6/11L/14B
Abilities: Athletics 4, Awareness 4, Dodge 4, Integrity 2, Martial Arts 4, Presence 1 (Intimidation +2), Resistance 6, Stealth 4, Survival 4 (Tracking +2)
Spirit Charms:
MaterializeCosts 40 motes
Tracking
First (Ability) Excellency: Athletics, Awareness, Dodge, Martial Arts, Survival
Essence: 2
Essence Pool: 50
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STANEWALD,
SHE WHO SURMOUNTED THE OMPHALOS
DEMON OF THE SECOND CIRCLE,
REFLECTIVE SOUL OF THE RAVINE OF WHISPERS
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Performance, Presence
Second (Ability) ExcellencyMartial Arts, Performance
Third (Ability) ExcellencyMartial Arts, Performance
Infinite (Ability) MasteryPerformance
Divine (Ability) SubordinationPerformance
Join Battle: 7
Stanewald has mastered 13 supernatural dances that draw on the power of Munaxes, the Ravine of Whispers, and her Yozi progenitor She Who Lives in Her Name. Twelve of these dances are described here, while
the last remains a mystery for individual Storytellers to reveal.
Each dance operates like a thaumaturgical ritual. Although they belong to no Art, others can learn them
as individual Procedures. Many of these dances require greater-than-human endurance to perform, however,
and most Exalts can accomplish similar effects more quickly and easily with Charms and sorcery.
1. The Hollows Dance (1, Conviction, 1, 62 minutes): Weakens stone walls, leaving them porous (and
halving their soak). Affects 50 square feet of wall per success.
2. The Boulder-Dissolving Dance (1, Conviction, 1, 63 minutes): Dissolves a boulder into sand.
3. The Earth-Drumming Dance (1, Conviction, 2, 67 minutes): The earth trembles gently, like a lightly
tapped drum, until the dance ends. Affects one square mile per success.
4. The Irkstone Giddha (1, Conviction, viewers MDV, 69 minutes): Mortals seeing the dance whose MDVs
are overcome grow irate with rocks and stone and things made from them.
5. The Earth-Wracking Reel (2, Conviction, 2, 92 minutes): Inflicts agony on any earth spirits or earth
elementals who view the dance in its entirety. Used on such a spirit as a form of torture, it imposes a three-die
external penalty to the spirits MDVs for purposes of resisting social attacks to compel behavior.
6. The Stone-Wrath Saltarello (2, Conviction, targets MDV, 24 hours): Enrages spirits within (Essence)
miles whose MDVs are overcome against a particular stone structure.
7. The Burrowing Bolero (2, Conviction, 1, 26 hours): Cuts a tunnel through earth or stone wide enough for
an adult to pass through. The tunnel extends one foot per success on the roll for each hour spent dancing.
8. The Ravines Homage (2, Conviction, 3, 29 hours): Opens a chasm underfoot seven miles deep and one
foot in diameter per success. Stanewalds ability to walk on air protects her from falling in, but others who learn
this dance arent similarly protected.
9. The Smoldering Tarantella (3, Conviction, 2, three days): Births a small fumarole that vents small rocks
and volcanic gases high into the air. This effect lasts for one year per success.
10. The Divinity-Dissolving Dance (3, Conviction, 1, five days): Scours the divine blood from a God-Blooded
child of an earth elemental (no more than one year old per success).
11. The Earthshaker Dance (3, Conviction, 2, seven days): Produces a powerful local earthquake with a
radius of (Essence) miles that lasts until the dance ends.
12. The Dance of Earth and Fire (3, Conviction, 3, seven days): Slowly dissolves a stone structure the size of
a manse into white-hot magma. Those inside suffer environmental damage as if in a bonfire every action until
they escape the structure.
WULFTHRYTH
If Wulfthryth dies but Stanewald does not, she resurrects him at midnight on the next new moon.
Str/Dex/Sta
Per/Int/Wits/Will
Health Levels
Atk (Spd/Acc/Dmg/Rate) Dodge DV/S
14/3/10
3/1/4/5
-0x3/-1x3/-2x2/-4/I
Trample: 3/6/12L/1
5/5L/10B
Abilities: Athletics 4 (Ride Forever +3), Awareness 3, Dodge 4, Martial Arts 2, Presence 6 (Intimidation +2)
Spirit Charms:
Landscape TravelGallop at double speed
MaterializeCosts 40 motes
Second (Ability) Excellency: Athletics, Dodge
Essence: 3
Essence Pool: 55
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Attacks:
Stone-Breaking Fist: Speed 5, Accuracy 13, Damage 10L,
Parry DV 7, Rate 3
Boulder-Exploding Kick: Speed 6, Accuracy 12, Damage 14L,
Parry DV 5, Rate 2
Gate-Shattering Touch: Speed 5, Accuracy 13, Damage 20L,
Parry DV 7, Rate 1
Soak: 15L/17B (Shadow body, 13L/13B)
Health Levels: -0/-1/-1/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-2/-4/Incap
Dodge DV: 10 Willpower: 8
Essence: 8
Essence Pool: 120
Other Notes: Stanewald possesses three unique supernatural attacks: The Boulder-Exploding Kick, the
Gate-Shattering Touch and the Stone-Breaking Fist. In
addition to functioning as listed in the demons attack
traits, all three attacks inflict double damage against rock,
stone construction, earth elementals and gods of earth and
stone. Stanewald must meditate for five minutes (one long
tick) prior to using her Gate-Shattering Touch. She may
take no other actions during this period.
When confronted by shattering or tumbling rock,
Stanewald tends to become distracted. She suffers a threedie internal penalty to all dice pools in such cases.
The sound of Stanewalds voice permanently renders
firedust inert, and her feet hover just above the earth,
never actually touching the ground.
An aalus child-sized body and patterned wings resemble those of a locust, though the details remind one
uncomfortably of certain desert spiders. Its many pale eyes
are blind. The aalu know only sound and scent, though both
senses are exceedingly keen. These gregarious creatures
populate many branches of the Demon Citys labyrinthine
bureaucracies, for nothing pleases them so much as recordkeeping. They have little use for pen or ink. Instead, they
weave fully drafted documents of silk directly from their
spinnerets. An aalus offices are inevitably festooned with
cobwebs, all of them hung thickly with documents in an
arcane, organic filing system.
Their offices thrum with strident chatter as the aalu
gabble to one another in their own tongue, one well suited
to the obfuscation and minutiae endemic to their trade.
A dull hum underlies that chatter, coming from their
constantly grinding mandibles as they eat one anothers
silken memoranda. Blind as they are, the aalu cannot read.
Instead, they eat written material and digest its meaning.
This power is not limited to their own kinds silk, and more
than one sorcerer has cut the Gordian knot of seeking a
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Abilities: Athletics 2, Awareness 5 (Taste +3), Bureaucracy 4 (Records +2, Regulations +1), Craft (Air) 2
(Calligraphy +3), Craft (Wood) 2 (Paper-making +3),
Dodge 3, Integrity 2 (Persuasion +1), Investigation 1
(Archives +2), Linguistics (Native: Aalu, Others: Old
Realm) 1, Lore 3, Martial Arts 1, Occult 2, Performance 1,
Socialize 2
Backgrounds: Backing 1, Resources 03
Charms:
BenefactionWeaves a prayer strip with talismanic
power
Divine PrerogativeThe laws of Cecelyne
Domain Manipulation ScenarioSpeeds or slows bureaucratic activity
HoodwinkBabbles in baffling bureaucratic jargon
MaterializeCosts 45 motes
Measure the WindSmell the power of others
Plague of MenacesLocusts and spiders
Spice of Custodial DelectationProper stamping and processing of forms
Subtle WhisperConfuses and disorients someone who
enters its office
(Element) Dragons EmbraceWood; Grants the power to
absorb information by eating documents, but the scent of
writing is so alluring that the recipient must succeed on
a Temperance roll to refrain from doing so. (The aalu is
permanently under the effect of this Charm at no cost.)
First (Ability) ExcellencyAwareness, Bureaucracy, Investigation, Socialize
Second (Ability) ExcellencyAwareness, Bureaucracy
Join Battle: 8
Attacks:
Bite: Speed 6, Accuracy 4, Damage 1L, Parry DV ,
Rate 3
Kick: Speed 5, Accuracy 4, Damage 4B, Parry DV 1,
Rate 2
Clinch: Speed 6, Accuracy 4, Damage 1B, Parry DV ,
Rate 1, Tags P
Soak: 2L/3B (Chitinous body, 1L/1B)
Health Levels: -0/-1/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-2/-4/Incap
Dodge DV: 5 Willpower: 7
Essence Pool: 55
Essence: 2
Other Notes: All aalu are blind. The preternatural sharpness of their other senses reduces the usual -4 external
penalty from blindness to -1 (factored into their Accuracy
ratings above).
The aalus knack for weaving silken memoranda is a
natural ability, not a Charm. A summoned aalu derives its
Resources by creating and selling blank silk of the highest
quality. This counts as Resources 3 in urban centers such
as Malfeas where literacy is valued. Its Resources rating
drops in less cosmopolitan areas.
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SOLDIERS OF SIGERETH
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PROMOTED BAIDAK
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CHALCOTHETES
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MaterializeCosts 55 motes
Memory MirrorRecalls memories from the being whose
identity it has stolen
Mirror of the Infinite WardrobeCopies the appearance of
the being whose identity it has stolen
ScourgeSteal identity: Arcane Fate, -1 Intelligence
TrackingKnows the location of the being whose identity
it has stolen
First (Ability) ExcellencyInvestigation, Larceny, Socialize
Second (Ability) ExcellencyInvestigation, Larceny
Third (Ability) ExcellencySocialize
Join Battle: 9
Attacks:
Punch: Speed 5, Accuracy 6, Damage 3B, Parry DV 4,
Rate 3
Kick: Speed 5, Accuracy 5, Damage 6B, Parry DV 2,
Rate 2
Clinch: Speed 6, Accuracy 5, Damage 3B, Parry DV ,
Rate 1, Tags P
Soak: 3L/7B (Oily plumage, 1L/3B)
Health Levels: -0/-1/-1/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-2/-4/Incap
Dodge DV: 5 Willpower: 8
Essence: 3
Essence Pool: 80
Other Notes: A gethins Scourge Charm steals the identity
of a creature with a lower Essence rating that meets its
gaze. Other demons know of this power. A Creation-born
student of the supernatural may recall the danger on a
(Wits + Occult) roll at difficulty 3. Avoiding the gaze
is trivial unless one interacts directly with the gethin
either peacefully or in combatin which case one must
make a reflexive (Temperance) check each action at
difficulty 1. The gethin must be in its natural form to use
this ability.
Stealing a creatures identity redirects all divinations aimed
at that creature to the gethin. Lacking an identity, the
target becomes only half real. Treat the target as suffering the effects of the Sidereals Arcane Fate (see Exalted,
p. 335). These are Shaping effects. This state of affairs
remains until the sun rises, the spirit cancels the ability
or one of the two participants dies.
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These chitinous horrors are hated and feared throughout Creations South. Each appears as a burly mortal from
the waist up with scorpion-like chelae instead of hands;
the lower half of its body is that of a giant scorpion. As a
people, they are proud and vain. Accoutering themselves
in opulent apparel, they demand deference from those
they encounter. Defiance rouses them to violence. Except
when drawn forth singly by a sorcerers summons, tinsiana
travel in threes, the better to cow and overpower those
who would stand against them.
Scorpion demons serve as warriors, interrogators and
enforcers. They are deadly beyond measure. Rather than
placing their faith in weapons of brass or black Malfean
iron, tinsiana rely upon their claws and their venomous stingers, the latter delivering poison that paralyzes
the body while leaving the mind free to dwell on the
horrors to come. Tinsiana take pleasure in inflicting
pain and can prolong a victims life through years of
exquisite torture.
When hard-pressed, a tinsiana may forsake its body
in the form of a palm-sized scorpion the color of ruby. As
the abandoned body dies, the tinsianas lessened form
crawls into the mouth of a willing, sleeping or otherwise
immobile mortal, where it works its way into the brain and
slowly takes possession of its host. Once it extinguishes
the hosts will, the scorpion demon slowly devours the
body from the inside, regaining its strength. When its
new body is fully formed, it bursts from its husk of stolen
mortal flesh, as powerful and deadly as ever.
Summoning: (Obscurity 2/4) Sorcerers summon scorpion demons as bodyguards, hunters and killers. Some
use them specifically to possess and hollow out a victim,
though the tinsiana dislike being bereft of their bodies and
resent those who command them to do so. When three
mortals die in a sandstorm, a trio of tinsiana may break
free of the demon prison in their place. For this reason,
it is customary among the desert tribes of the South not
to travel in groups of three. Each day that a tinsiana does
not inflict great pain on another sentient being, it gains
a point of Limit.
Motivation: To dominate and torment the weak.
Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4; Charisma 4,
Manipulation 3, Appearance 2; Perception 3, Intelligence 3,
Wits 5
Virtues: Compassion 1, Conviction 4, Temperance 3,
Valor 5
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Abilities: Archery 2, Athletics 4, Awareness 3, Bureaucracy 1, Dodge 3, Integrity 2, Linguistics 2, Lore 1, Martial
Arts 4, Medicine 1 (Poisons +2), Melee 2, Occult 1, Presence 3 (Interrogation +1, Intimidation +1), Resistance 2,
Socialize 1, Stealth 1 (Moving Silently +2), Survival 2
(Deserts +3), War 2
Backgrounds: Allies 2, Backing 1
Charms:
Essence Plethora10 extra motes
Form Reduction TechniqueAbandons its demon body in
the form of a small scorpion
Hollow Out the SoulWhen all of a mortal victims Virtues
and Willpower are reduced to 0, the tinsiana may tear free
of its frame in a new body
Landscape HideBeneath the sand or inside a human
body
Landscape TravelScuttle over sand as though it were
solid ground
MaterializeCosts 60 motes
Ox-Body Technique
PossessionTakes over a host by climbing into its body
Touch of SaturnSting delivers paralytic venom (Poison
effect); its effects on mortals persist even after the Charms
duration expires
TrackingSenses the movements of those who survive
its sting
Weather ControlActingg in concert,, three tinsiana mayy
raise
rais
ra
i e a sa
is
ssandstorm
n sttor
nd
om
INFERNAL BEASTS
ANIMALS
KH
HOMFAI, THE WIND-OOZE
CH
HAPTER
APTER FIIVE
VE: TH
HE DAMNED
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151
Originally bred
from mortal
stock, these
cervine
creatures
have human faces,
minds and
emotions.
Demon
citizens
hunt them
for their
hidessoft
and rich and shot through with patterns of luminous
colorand for the cruel joy of the chase. As the midwryth
lack speech, they can express themselves only through song.
Pain and suffering heighten the songs beauty, making the
hunt all the merrier for their pursuers. Cecelynes law bans
lesser demons from the hunt on pain of death. Most midwryth dwell in the Malfean forests, where infernal safaris
and luminata-poachers winnow their numbers. Those that
wander into the streets of the Demon City meet swifter
ends. Powerful demons occasionally snare midwryth alive.
The creatures do not reproduce in captivity, but torture
wrings magnificent music from them.
ous blue-green
shades. Normally stolid
creatures,
parambir
grumble in
low voices that
never quite
become intelligible. They
also seem to
enjoy being set
by their masters to charge,
gore and trample other demons.
RIWANNON, THE
LIVING PAVILIONS
As much flowers as
beasts, flocks of these
creatures dwell in the
poorer reaches of the
Demon City. A riwannons outer carapace is
flat black but for its many
scattered eyes, which
usually shine a vibrant
blue, while its pink,
rugose underside emits
a reptilian musk. Seven
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BEHEMOTHS
HALKOMELEM, THE ENIGMA IN RED AND GOLD
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INFERNAL BEASTS
Name
Khomfai
Str/Dex/Sta
12/4/12
Per/Int/Wits/Will
3/2/2/2
14/3/10
2/1/2/5
-0x3/-1x3/
-2x2/-4/I
Gore: 5/6/10L/2,
1/5L/10B
Trunk Clinch: 6/8/7B/1,
Trample: 3/7/14L/1
Abilities: Athletics 4, Awareness 3, Integrity 2, Martial Arts 3 (Clinch +2), Presence 4, Resistance 5, Survival 3
Peghedu 3/6/3
2/1/2/2
-0/-1/-2/-4/I
Claw: 5/7/2L/3
4/1L/4B
Abilities: Athletics 4 (Climbing +1), Awareness 2, Dodge 2, Integrity 1, Martial Arts 1, Presence 1, Resistance 1,
Stealth 1, Survival 1
Riwannon 8/2/8
5/2/3/4
-0x2/-1x2/
Slap: 5/5/8B/3,
2/4L/8B
-2x3/-4/I
Grab 6/4/8B/3
Abilities: Athletics 3, Awareness 4, Dodge 2, Integrity 2, Linguistics 1, Martial Arts 2, Presence 3, Resistance 5,
Socialize 1, Stealth 2 (Silent Flight +3), Survival 2
Sourn
4/3/4
2/2/4/3
-0/-1x2/-2x2/-4/I Tail: 4/6/6L/1
3/2L/4B
Abilities: Athletics 3, Awareness 2, Dodge 3, Integrity 1, Martial Arts 3, Presence 2, Resistance 2, Survival 2
Other Notes: The sourn and its rider gain +5L soak vs. acid or -5L damage from acid-based environmental
effects
Unju
5/4/6
3/2/3/3
-0x2/-1x2/
Claw: 5/7/5L/2,
3/0L/4B
-2/-4/I
Grab 6/7/4B/1
Abilities: Athletics 4 (Lifting Heavy Burdens +3), Awareness 3, Bureaucracy 1 (Haggling +2), Dodge 3,
Integrity 1, Investigation 1, Larceny 1, Linguistics 1, Martial Arts 3, Presence 2 (Invective +2), Resistance 2,
Socialize 2, Survival 1
Virtues: Compassion 2, Conviction 3, Temperance 5,
Valor 2
Abilities: Athletics 6, Awareness 4, Bureaucracy 3, Dodge 5,
Integrity 10, Investigation 3, Linguistics 10+, Lore 9 (Primordial Age +3), Martial Arts 4, Occult 7, Performance 3,
Presence 6, Resistance 5, Socialize 4
Essence Powers:
Hunger for KnowledgeWhen the Enigma in Red and
Gold consumes a sentient creature, it learns everything
the creature ever knew. Its flanks immediately sprout
hundreds of new pages inscribed with that knowledge in
runes of gold.
Scarred with UnderstandingA silver scar marks Halkomelems flank where it endured the touch of Orabilis.
As such, it grasps a secret once known only to the Yozis.
This could be almost anything: a rite to compel the Incarnae, a Yozis hidden vulnerability or a plan to escape
the demon prison.
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MORTALS
SLAVES/CULTISTS/COURTIERS
MORTAL TRAITS
FUGITIVES
155
YOZI-KIN/HELLSPAWN
GHOSTS
GHOSTLY SLAVES/COURTIERS/CULTISTS
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GHOST TRAITS
RENEGADE GHOSTS
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TEIND-SLAVES
Typical Arcanoi:
Common Arcanoi: Ox-Body Technique (x2)
Chains of the Ancient Monarchs: Soul Anchor, Essence
Binding, Essence Lasso Form
Shifting Ghost-Clay Path: Waxen Ghostly Flesh, Yielding
Spirit Form, Steeling the Spirit
Terror-Spreading Art: Corpse-Fed Radiance, Black Breath
of the Abyss
INFERNAL EXALTED
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